Despite herself, Thalia laughed. It wasn’t that Caspian had said something funny. Nor was it laughter designed to mock. Rather, Thalia was starting to understand her husband better than she ever had before, and his simple response was so perfectly ‘Caspian,’ that she could not help but laugh at it.
“What?” He shuffled onto his side to better look at her. “What did I say?”
“Practically nothing.”
“Then what is so funny?”
She flashed her eyes at him but was still trembling from withheld laughter. His brow was furrowed in confusion, and she could literally see him trying to figure out what she was laughing at; whether he needed to defend himself or play along.
“You are what is so funny,” she said.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Exactly,” she laughed. “And I love that about you. Once, I might have thought you were being purposefully closed off or hiding something from me. And now…” She shrugged. “It is just your way. It’s funny, is all.”
“I still don’t understand.”
“My point exactly.” Thalia chose the moment to shuffle in that little bit closer so that they lay body-to-body and face-to-face. Then, without hesitation, she leaned in and kissed him on the forehead.
Caspian narrowed his eyes as he tried to discern what she meant… but was just as quick to relax and accept the kiss, as well as the very real fact that in some instances he wasn’t always going to understand her. But that he was willing now to acceptThalia for who she was, as she was for him, was a huge part of why they were starting to work as a married couple.
And if that doesn’t do the trick, we can always revert back to the one thing we seem to have in common… in fact, once I recover from the last time, I might insist that we do.
That thought made Thalia’s cheeks flush bright pink.
“Now what?” Caspian asked, noting the flush of her cheeks.
“Nothing…” She went to wiggle away.
“No, you don’t.” Caspian latched out and wrapped his arm around her. “Tell me, what is that look?”
“There is no look.”
“Liar.”
She grinned and pretended to try and wiggle free, knowing too well that he wasn’t about to let her go. She did not want him to.
“If you must know…” She rolled her eyes but shifted her body in close again. “I was just thinking about before and I became a little embarrassed.”
“Before?”
To that, Thalia raised an eyebrow and indicated to the two of them.
“Oh…” A smirk found its way to his lips. “Well then, feel free to keep thinking about it. I certainly won’t stop you.”
“I didn’t think you would,” she laughed. “Based on previous experience, I would think that you want me thinking about it as much as possible…” She flashed her eyes wickedly at him. “And I must say, Caspian, the more I think about it, the more I cannot believe some of the words that come out of your mouth while you and I –”
“Thalia!”
“—are entwined,” she purred and then kissed him on the forehead again. “What an animal you are.”
It was his cheeks that started to flush pink now. “I don’t know what you mean…”
“Yes, you do,” she said. “But I am not complaining. Not even a little bit.”
He looked at her, noting the smirk, noting the humor in her eyes. He rolled his eyes in response and then wrapped her in his arms. “No, I can’t imagine that you would. Certainly not, when considering the words that came out of your mouth also.”
“For which, I blame you.”
